I can´t stand seing or hearing about cruelty against animals. I just looked at a video on FB not knowing what is was about,  it starts with a “man” beating his dog, I feel sick to my stomach. There is so much cruelty out there, so many cowards that feel strong and in power! These guys beating animals, women and children are all of the same kind.

I always wonder what I would do if I witnessed something like that in life, considering how I feel now I really don´t know if I would be able to control myself.

This is something to think about, considering what this could imply but there is no way in hell I would walk or look he other way.

What to do when you are unhappy with how things are going ? 

I will quote my favorite artist Michael Jackson : “start with the man in the mirror and make that change”.

I always say if you are not happy with something, just get out ! it can be personal affairs, work, friendships, weight problem or whatever, I like to say nobody is forced to a situation, your life is what you make of it. Often we blame others for being stuck somewhere because doing something about it can be very hard and involve many other things.

Some people talk about time, that things will get better with time, what do we know about that? Anything can happen, time won´t fix any problem, time will only make you lose an opportunity, make things be too late or unfixable.

It is exactly the same with JKD, if you think that you suck, just do something about it and not tomorrow, now ! Nobody will do the work for you. Now being aware that something is not right is already a good thing !  That means you have a certain knowledge, the next step is to know how to fix it, then just do it. Simple and direct !

In any situation in life the key is YOU.

I read on the internet about the people born in the year of the Dragon  here is what I found:

In a group of people, “the Chinese Year of the Dragon person” stands out. There is a certain aura about them.
They certainly are not shy – they demand attention and respect. The dragon is a symbol of power. Therefore in Chinese astrology the dragon person born under this Chinese Zodiac sign tends to be a “doer” – they do things and achieve power by getting things done. A dragon can breathe out fire so the person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be a hothead. Watch out if you make them angry!

Seems to me this is the description of Bruce Himself! 🙂

Now let´s see, what am I ? well I am a RAT, a water Rat ! Does not sound too good when it is said like that but the person born in the year of the rat according to the Chinese is not a bad person at all, let´s see what I found:

The person born in the Year of the Rat is naturally shy according to Chinese astrology. However they work hard to conceal it although it is there below the surface. 2012 will be another year of hard work.
The rat is very industrious and hardworking. Therefore, the person born under this Chinese Zodiac Sign is hardworking and always very busy trying to get ahead in business.  They are very loyal to their friends.
They are single minded in achieving their goals and not easily distracted from this by other things.  

Mikael is a Pig ( talking about chinese astrology here ! 🙂 )  , a metal Pig :

Outspoken and confident, Metal Pigs give 110% for everything they do. They throw themselves into relationships with others completely, sometimes to a fault. These Pigs are headstrong and diligent in the workplace, honest and caring in a relationship and trustworthy with everyone he meets unless given reason not to be. Metal Pigs usually give people more credit than they deserve but when challenged can be a hard nut to crack.

So let´s see what the year of the Dragon will bring us, apparently it will be a good year for us Rats and Pigs….

Happy new year 2012 !

Our place is getting ready, still painting and getting some stuff but it is getting there.

This is all new for us, we always talk about our “new” place but really, this is our first place. We have been training together for almost 7 years, having a place or not was never an issue. In my opinion a  place is not making anyone good a martial arts, anyone who wants to train will always find a way and this is what we did over the years. Now I must admit that  having somewhere to train which is our own is really nice, it is not that big but again, the size is not relevant.

We will still train outside during the summer, the variation is good and allows us to be used to fight in any condition, this is more or less what we have always done.

Last wednesday was our first group training. Michel, Remy, Will, Pierre and David joined us for this very special session. It got very hot in there but we had room for 6 people plus instructor and this was very nice to see that it is working just fine.

We mostly worked on mitts and pads  and added funny pushups and situps drills, I was not really fond  the last one which consisted in lying on the floor having one person walking on everyone stomach, I am the lightest , not fair ! We finished with the famous invisible chair, ( when you “sit” against the wall the longest possible), and … no no , I won´t brag about who won this one… by far !  🙂

We did some drills with the TRX before Remy tried on a surprise attack on Mikael… oh oh , this is always a bad idea !

Anyway this is good  that we are moving on and this is a great start for this new year.

This morning Mikael and I trained, he showed me some other ways to kick the bag standing on the medicine ball,  Oh yeah really ?????  I will try that one when my kicks look better than they did today ! But seriously, either than being flashy and for those who can do it,  it is a good exercise for the balance, I will definetly try it. Mikael has a lot of good drills that  help with the technique and a better technique will produce better fights. I am always amazed by the amount of drills he comes up with, he has one or ten for anything we would ask, this is incredible and it shows the level of his skills. When Mikael sparrs it seems so easy and effortless, always simple direct and explosive. I understand more and more the amount of work he has done over the years. It can be discouraging for a student but I don´t expect getting as good as him because it is not the point, I will train until I am as good as I can be and considering the range of competence I have access to,  it is up to me to absorb everything I can. I am never questionning Mikael´s methods because I just look at the result:  the quality of his technique and his performance in fights, that is why there is no question.

So my 2012 resolutions are quite simple, I have to get in the best shape ever and reach the next level in JKD, I am not getting any younger,  so it is now or never!

One of the most important aspects of JKD for me is to be myself. No one will ever be or look like Bruce Lee or Ted Wong  but surely there are a lot of people who think they do. Well, this is  not my problem, I am true to myself and the only person I would be happy to look like in JKD is my instructor, but because of the body structure and a couple of other parameters,  I will never do and I think it is good to know that.

It is important for me to find my way, this is where my own evolution in the art will take place. There will always be some people thinking, “you do this wrong, I know better”, well I let them think what they want. There was a time when I was bothered by what people would think but really, who cares! I respect people’s opinion but I will only take the one from my own instructor because after 7 years,  I think I know how most things should look like,  even if I don´t do it right ( yet ).

All this is a question of self confidence and I know a lot about that! I lacked it for many years and after a couple of years training JKD things changed, not only my body but my mind got stronger.

Of course I still get sad at times especially when I spar like a grasshopper! I get disappointed at myself and mad, but I only have myself to blame for that.

I still produce negative energy for myself but I don´t take any negative energy from anyone else, this is the way Mikael and I are working and with the things going on out there, this the only way to not get totally insane 😆

Exactly one year ago,  Mikael and I were flying to San Francisco, to attend Bruce Lee´s 70th Birthday celebration. We almost did not make this trip but I finally got allowed to fly. It was a good day, we were so happy to be on our way and had no idea what was going on at the same time.

It is only when we got back to Sweden that we were informed about Ted´s passing. I remember it was an early morning,  I was driving on the way to work when Mikael called.

I had not met Ted as much as Mikael or Stefan did but I can say that the impact he had on people was extraordinary. Ted Wong was a man who did not need to say anything at all, people just had a huge respect for him. In June 2005 when I first met him,  I remember having trouble believing I was talking to him , I was staring all the time, thinking “God this is unbelievable! Noone is going to believe me!”. My family in France even asked me several times if I was sure …

I don´t think any of us has ever stopped thinking about Ted on the contrary, we always feel he is looking at us, expecting us to go on and do well and this is exactly what we do.

I talked earlier about the positive effects on my life which came from training JKD. Since before the summer, my training has been affected, first the injury, then the holidays, then several sicknesses, all this combined with a lot of anger. I feel totally unbalansed right now, to the point that I get myself into unnecessary situations like conflicts with different people, at work,  at home with neighbours … It seems a lot of people have problems they need to take out on me these days and  I can´t stand being attacked in any way,  never have but I react stronger than I should.

That kind of negativity just brings more negativity,  It feels like everything is just falling appart right now and I need to get a grip on this  real quick.

It happenned too many things this summer in my opinion,  now the winter is coming, the famous dark swedish winter, I need to get out of the darkness before the darkness  hits me ! ( footwork ! 🙂 )

Micke and I talked about the situation today, he has no agression but he is also very tired. We hope it will get better or easier after Stefan´s burial and that somehow we can go back to our normal training routines and find the lost energy again.

Training is my link to a more balanced attitude and life, and the positive aspect here is that I feel something is wrong and I am going to do something about it.

Mikael (as well known for it) has started a good topic on FB. It is interesting to see how people think and I thought it would be a good opportunity for a blog post today.

So the question was that sometimes it is too much footwork. What did he mean by that?

Footwork is to be used to any technique,  retreat and so on, no JKD without footwork, we all know that,  but I think you need to know how to punch or kick because footwork won´t help you do that. I think good technique will be made effective by footwork, but that was not the question.

Now how can there be too much footwork ? I think Micke talks about people dancing around, using energy in footwork that is not needed and not in place with any technique. I saw fights where the two guys are standing 3 meters from each other,  doing some good footwork but not hitting at all, what is that good for?  It is losing  energy for nothing if you ask me. In close fighting  you have to use the correct footwork to hit, using too much footwork in this case can cost you because some situations will not allow too many moves,  that is why you have to use the correct defense or attack wisely together with most appropiate footwork to get you out of there.

I was quite surprised by some comments like : footwork  beats anyone or any kicks or any punch … what ?  How does footwork beat anything?  Footwork together with a punch or a kick will beat something allright,  and those punches and kicks have to be good ones with power,  but alone what does it do either than avoiding, retreat or closing a gap ? still you have to be able to throw a good punch or kick.

I would not isolate one part of a martial art and say this is what will make you win. Ok some people have better footwork than others, so are they better fighters ?

Well then we get to the interesting stuff, I would say yes if they also have the rest but as I hear it,  some people think footwork is only what it takes , I disagree. Concentrating on footwork only will make you quick , light on your feet, hard to hit… yes, but how good do you hit and kick ? JKD is a fighting art,  so we are not talking about looking good on your feet and on pads,  we are talking about fighting, if we are just dancing around avoiding and retreating this is good footwork of course  because you won´t get hit, but this is not a fight, and is this JKD ? I don´t think so.

I train footwork everyday by itself, in shadow boxing and anytime I train punches and kicks or any technique. I train on speed,  power and technique and make it all be one. Sparring is where I can apply it all. This is where I get a picture on what I do right or wrong, what I need to work  more on. I am not the best fighter far from it,  but I don´t think any part of JKD should be isolated, any good fighter trains daily on few techniques together with footwork, this is my point of view and why do I think that way? because I get my ass kicked in sparring anytime something is missing 🙂

What a birthday!  talk about surprises… Mikael gave me a big box and he took the camera, I thought it was strange  but I was so curious I did not think more about that. When I started to unwrap it,  I first saw the colours black and yellow, I immediately thought about Bruce Lee but did not think it would be it. Then I saw “Enterbay” on the box and I thought well it cannot be the figure… Then I read the text carefully and it said “Game Of death Collectable figure”!  This  is when I did realize it was it !

I had dreamt about this for a long time but could not afford it. I was so surprised and chocked,  I was actually shaking when I openned it, until I came to hold the actual figure in my hands I still could not believe it.

Talk about finding the perfect gift , this is amazing I was so touched and still am. I love it so much, Mikael may have started a collecting behaviour…. 🙂

Seriously,  I am very touched by that gift and this day will forever stay in my heart….

The last couple of months are definetely so amazing I can´t believe it.

If there is something I really hate is people stealing , stuff or ideas, same thing.  I spend hours creating something and someone just stole it , and used it as their own .

Some people may answer like that: “that is what FB is all about”   my answer to that : BS !

Sharing is what it is all about, stealing designs for seminar flyers and make it as their own is not sharing,  it is stealing, being too lazy to do it themselves , seeking credit for something that they did not  do  and I hate that. 

Now I´ve said it. That is what my blog is all about, sharing my feelings and experiences, nice or not and when something bothers me I say it too.